The most regrettable thing Zhu Qianying had ever done in her life was falling in love with Shen Ye and going to great lengths to become his empress.
She was a daughter of the Zhu family, and in the territory controlled by the Zhu family, she was more noble and respected than any princess.
Because the Zhu family was the local ruler, even the imperial court could only appease them, not conquer them.
Her father and mother had long since chosen a husband for her: Ye Qingchen, the younger brother of the Northern Expedition General.
The general, who commanded a powerful army, had long harbored rebellious intentions, resenting how the Swift Cavalry Army always overshadowed him.
Ye Qingchen had grown up in the Zhu family and was practically childhood friends with Zhu Qianying.
However, as a hostage, he lived without a care in the world, spending his days dragging her around the city to play. Zhu Qianying did not admire such a man.
As a teenage girl from the Zhu family, she was naive and reckless, falling for the one person she should never have loved.
The current Emperor, Shen Ye, was handsome, majestic, and heroic—a man of great responsibility who loved his people like his own children and was diligent in governance and learning. He was the ideal husband in her eyes.
“What did you say?”
Zhu's Father stared at her with wide, bulging eyes. “You want to marry whom?”
Zhu Qianying nervously twisted the hem of her dress. “Father, I… I admire the Emperor. Could you… let me become the Empress?”
Though afraid, she was brave!
To marry the Emperor, she was willing to risk her father’s wrath.
She had heard that Song Ni'er from the Song Family in the capital was already making moves. She couldn’t lose to that brainless fool.
What kind of “Capital’s First Beauty” was she? Just a spoiled young lady who knew nothing of the hardships of the people.
How could someone like that be worthy of being the Empress?
How could she be worthy of the Emperor?
“Silly girl…”
Zhu's Father sighed and shook his head. “Qianying, your father has committed many sins in his life and deserves to die. But you are in the prime of your youth. Wouldn’t it be better to marry Ye Erlang and have your father as your backing?”
Zhu Qianying couldn’t understand the complex emotions in her father’s eyes. She thought he only wanted her to marry Ye Erlang to maintain the alliance between their families.
If they succeeded, the Emperor would surely die.
She shook her father’s arm. “Father, think of it this way… if I enter the palace, I can help you monitor the Emperor’s every move. At critical moments, I might even be of great help to you.”
Neither the Zhu family nor the Ye family had trustworthy spies in the palace. Using her, the Zhu family’s eldest daughter, was the best option.
The light in Zhu's Father’s eyes flickered, and for a moment, Zhu Qianying thought she saw her father’s back hunch slightly.
Just as she was growing anxious, her father laughed heartily and patted her head. “You truly are my good daughter. Wait at home for good news. Your father will make sure you marry Shen Ye in grand style.”
“Thank you, Father!”
That year, the leaves of the wutong tree in the courtyard were lush and dense. When the autumn wind blew, golden-red leaves swirled and fluttered down to the earth.
“Hehe…”
Fen Yun couldn’t help but glance at her mistress. “Mistress, you’ve been giggling all day. Is there something happy going on?”
Zhu Qianying twirled a strand of her hair around her finger. “Father said the Empress Dowager has already agreed to my marriage with the Emperor. In two days, the imperial decree announcing the wedding will be proclaimed to the world!”
The thought of marrying the man she loved filled Zhu Qianying with immense happiness from the inside out.
Fen Yun was happy but also worried. “Mistress, I’ve heard that the palace is a place that devours people. I’m afraid…”
“Fen Yun, I believe that love can overcome all difficulties.”
At that time, Zhu Qianying’s eyes were filled with sparkling starlight, and Fen Yun swallowed all her worries.
If it came to it, she would follow her mistress to the death, ensuring no one could harm her.
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Her mistress had grown up in luxury, pampered and adored. She hoped the Emperor would see her mistress’s goodness and live happily with her.
“Zhu Qianying, have you lost your mind?”
A handsome young man with a furious expression barged into the elegant courtyard.
Several maids and servants had failed to stop him and could only kneel on the ground, begging for forgiveness.
Zhu Qianying’s face showed displeasure. “All of you, leave!”
Ye Erlang had come to scold her, but Zhu Qianying grabbed his ear and said, “Ye Erlang, you have no manners. How dare you barge into my private chambers?”
“Ahhh!”
Ye Erlang quickly tried to pry her hand away. “It hurts, it hurts! I was wrong, I was wrong! Let go!”
Zhu Qianying snorted, crossing her arms and tilting her head to look down at him. “Do you have something to say?”
Ye Erlang’s anger deflated, and he rubbed his ear, looking at her with resentment. “Are you really going to the palace? What about me?”
Zhu Qianying looked at him, puzzled. “What, do you want to become a eunuch and serve as my little attendant?”
“Go to hell!”
Ye Erlang’s eyes brimmed with tears. “I’m handsome and talented. If you won’t marry me, plenty of girls would fight to be with me. Why would I become a eunuch?”
Zhu Qianying smiled softly. “Yes, there are plenty of good girls who would marry you. So, Ye Erlang… you’ll definitely be happy.”
That day, the troublemaker Ye Erlang ran away in tears.
He never saw Zhu Qianying again, even when officials from the capital came to escort her for the grand wedding ceremony.
Did he hate her?
Zhu Qianying didn’t know. She sighed, feeling a little disappointed as she let the carriage curtain fall.
Ye Erlang was her only close friend.
But compared to losing him, she was more afraid of not becoming the Empress.
On that day, the dazzling ten-mile-long procession, the grand and splendid wedding parade, made Zhu Qianying the envy of every woman in the city.
Her heart, which had been restless for so long, began to race uncontrollably when she saw the Emperor again on their wedding night, as if it no longer belonged to her.
All the noise around her faded away, and the world lost its color. Only the Emperor, smiling gently, remained vividly etched in her eyes.
Many, many years later, when she had tasted the bitterness of life and become ruthless and self-serving, she would still cling to this memory for comfort.
Love could indeed overcome all difficulties, but no one had told her that unrequited love could hurt so, so much.
For now, she was still immersed in the joy of marrying the man she loved.
The next day, when she went to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager, the Emperor warned her, “My relationship with the Empress Dowager is not good. If she gives you a hard time, just hide behind me.”
But at that time, she only thought of herself as his Empress, someone who should share his burdens and not worsen his relationship with the Empress Dowager.
So when the Empress Dowager first tested her, she didn’t hide behind the Emperor as he had advised. Instead, she knelt on the ground and declared her resolve to the Empress Dowager.
She was the Emperor’s wife, the Empress of Daye. She, the Emperor, and the Empress Dowager should be united.
That small act led to years of being manipulated by the Empress Dowager.